Articulated rail car structure



July 21, 1942. w. DAVIS ET AL ARTICULATED RAIL CAR STRUCTURE Filed Oct.30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WM 0 m o m d My aw July 21, 1942. w. l...DAVIS ET AL 2,290,676

ARTICULATED RAIL CAR STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 30. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IiII /0 I a 9A '1 Eugene v 32 1 NV ENTOR S ATTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1942 UlTED smrss ARTICULATED RAIL CAR STRUCTUREWilliam L. Davis and Alfred 0. Williams, Battle Creek, Mich, assignorsto Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication Gctober 30, 1940, Serial N0. 363,462

7 Claims.

prevent bumping between the two car bodies during rapid acceleration ordeceleration. However,

we have found that it is impossible to locate the contact points onthese blocks in such manner that slack will not occur. Even if they wereperfectly located, wear therebetween due to the articulation between thecars would occur, and banging of the two car bodies together would startat some period during the life of the cars. This wear is cumulative, andconsequently would increase rapidly as time went on. The provision ofslack between the blocks due to wear or imperfect location isundesirable, both from the standpoint of passenger comfort, undue noiseand increased wear on the bearing by which the two cars are pivotallyconnected together. Consequently, it is extremely desirable to eliminateany possibility of slack occurring between the contact blocks.

The present invention therefore has, as one of its primary objects, toprovide a non-metallic resilient buffer arrangement between the blockswhich will take up all ordinary coupling stresses by the absorption ofsuch stresses within the rubber members so that the blocks are employedonly for the most severe shocks, such as collision or high frequencyimpacts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a constructionin which rubber plates or discs are secured to the adjacent ends of thecar frames, and are set up, when the cars are coupled together, under aninitial compression which insures maintenance of the contact between therubber and resistance to relative movement between the car endssufiicient to prevent contact between the bodies.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of astructure in which suitable mechanism is provided on the end of the carbody to facilitate placing the rubber plates under initial compression,this mechanism comprising of the blocks under normal relative movementjacking screws for placing the plates under initial compression withmeans for shimming the supporting member to maintain such compression.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of asimplified structure for accomplishing this result which is readilyadaptable to car end sections of the type now in general use, so thatthe invention may be applied to cars already built, as well as to newcar structures.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear morefully from the following detailed description which, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, will disclose to thoseskilled in the art the particular construction and operation of thepreferred form of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the couplingbetween the two car ends and embodying the present construction;

Figure 2 is a top plan View, partly in section, of the constructionshown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an end view taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 2,showing in detail the buffing arrangement.

Considering now the drawings in detail, the end frame member of one carbody is indicated generally at 5, and includes a depending pedestalmember or portion 6 in which is mounted the kingpin sleeve or tubing 1whichfits into the kingpin receiving bolster of the car truck. The endframe member 5 is also provided with a substantially annular cup-shapedportion 8 in which is located a spherical bearing seat 9, this bearingseat being preferably formed of a suitably hardened steel member whichis adapted to receive the partial spherical bearing portion Ill carriedby the end frame portion l2 of the adjacent car body. Preferably, theend frame portion l2 of the adjacent car body is provided with anannular laterally directed channel-shaped lip l3 of semi-cylindricalform, which is adapted to receive a safety chain having its ends securedto the trunnions I l carried by the end frame member 5.

From the construction thus far described, it is apparent that thebearing portion ll] of the car frame member !2 has sliding pivotalmovement within the bearing portion 9 of the car frame end 5, wherebythe two car bodies are articulated together about the center line of thekingpin l for relative pivotal movement about curves or the like. Thisconstruction is somewhat similar to that described in the copendingapplication of Alfred 0. Williams, Serial No. 302,279, filed November 1,1939.

As seen clearly in Figure 2, the car frame member 5 is provided with atransverse web portion l5 which has welded thereto at the outer ends thewedge-shaped blocks [6 forming abutments for jack screws ll carried inthe tip portions l8 welded to the end flange portions of the abutmentmember IS. The member l9 at the end adjacent the car frame member [2 isprovided with a planar face portion 23 terminated at its lateral edgesby the forwardly directed flanges or lips 22. Seated within the recessthus formed is a steel plate 23 in which is secured the shoulderedportion 24 of a manganese steel buffing block 25. Disposed about theblock 25 and projecting axially beyond the spherical contact facethereof is a rubber buffing member 26 which, as shown in Figure 3', maybe of square form and is vulcanized directly to the face of the steelplate 23 about the block 25, the rubber member 23 being apertured toreceive the block 25.

The rubber member 25 is preferably square in plan View and, by beingvulcanized directly to the plate 23, is securely attached thereto toproject axially forwardly beyond the contact surface of the block 25.The plate 23 is secured to the face 20 by means of the studs 2?, therebeing four such studs provided.

Similarly, the outer end of the car frame section I2 is provided with aface portion 30 parallelling the face 20 and provided at its lateraledges with flanges or lips 32 forming a recess for receiving the steelplate 33. Ihe plate 33 has a central aperture which receives theshoulder portion 34 of a second manganese block member 35, also providedwith a spherical contact surface. Vulcanized to the face of the [plate33 about the block 35 is a square block of rubber 36, which alsoprojects forwardly axially beyond the contact face of the block 35. Therubber member 35 is substantially of the same shape as the plate 33 and,by being vulcanized to the face of this plate, is secured directlythereto. The blocks 23 and 35 are identical, as are the manganesecontact blocks 25 and 35, thus providing an economical structure.

In assembling this bufling structure, the portion I3 of the car endframe I2 is first seated in the bearing portion 9 of the adjacent endframe 5 to provide the pivotal connection therebetween each of the faces23 and 39, being first provided with the plates 23 and 33 securedthereto by the studs 2'! and 3?, respectively. At this time, the memberi9 is disposed with its flange faces 38 in direct abutment with the endflange 15 of the end section 5, thus providing for clearance between theblock members 25 and 33. Upon tightening of the jacking screws I!against the abutments IS, the member [9 is moved axially toward the endframel2, thereby producing compression of the contact faces of therubber blocks 25 and 33. Preferably, such compression is increased bymeans of the jacking screws l'l until the total pressure of about 2,000pounds is exerted, which, due to the relative areas in con tact,produces a compression of around 65 pounds per square inch between therubber blocks. This also provides for the forming of a spacing chamberAll between the contact surfaces of the manganese blocks 25 and 35,providing the necessary clearance therebetween so that during theordinary normal relative motion between the bodies, these contactsurfaces will not come into contact.

When the desired pressure has been built up between the rubber blocks,suitable shims 2 are interposed between the flanges 38 of the member I9and the flanges l5 of the member 5, these shims thereby relieving thescrews [1 from the necessity of maintaining the compression. With theshims in place, suitable bolts 43 are employed to couple the member l9rigidly to the member 5, these shims maintaining the desired pressurebetween the blocks 26 and. 36. The assembly is thereby completed, and itwill be noted that the rubber blocks 26 and 35, as shown in Figure 2,are compressed, causing a slight vbulbing of the rubber, thiscompression still maintaining the desired clearance between themanganese steel blocks 25 and 35. Preferably, such clearance ismaintained at about oneeighth ofan inch so that ordinary normal couplingmovements between the cars will not cause contact between the blocks,thus preventing any wear on the blocks except under the most severeconditions of coupling or collision.

The rubber blocks being under compression and being flexible allowarticulation of the car bodies without undue pressure being placed onthe rubber, and provide a non-metallic and noise-deadening connectionbetween the adjacent end frame sections whereby the clattering normallyocsaioned when a train accelerates or decelerates due to slack in thecoupling is eliminated. This provides a very quiet resilient connectionbetween the articulated end sections of the car bodies, the rubberaccommodating the relative angular movements between the car bodieswithout allowing the manganese steel blocks to come into contact.

It is therefore believed apparent that we have provided a novel type ofresilient articulated bulfer construction for rail cars and the like,which is of simple design and is capable of easy assembly anddisassembly, and also is adaptable to large numbers of articulated carsnew in use.

We are aware that various changes may be made in certain features of thepresent construction without in any way departing from the underlyingprinciples thereof, and we therefore do not intend to be limited exceptas defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an articulated coupling for car bodies including end car sectionsterminating in parallel transverse end walls, plate members secured toadjacent faces of said walls and having central apertures, bufiingblocks secured in said apertures and projecting toward each other withtheir axes in longitudinal alinement, and rubber members vulcanized tothe faces of said plates about said blocks and extending beyond theextremities thereof, said blocks being main tained in abutment underpressure to provide clearance between the adjacent contact faces of saidblocks during normal articulation of said car bodies.

2. In an articulated coupling for car bodies, said bodies having endsections pivotally mounted together and having parallel end walls abovethe pivotal mounting, buffing blocks carried by said end walls andhaving adjacent spherical contact surfaces, said blocks having theiraxes in longitudinal alinement, and rubber plates carried by each endwall extending about said blocks and projecting outwardly beyond theextremity thereof, said plates being of a thickness such that whenmaintained under compression in abutting engagement with each other saidsurfaces of said blocks are maintained out of contact during normalarticulating movement of said end sections.

3. In combination, a first car end section having a transverse end wall,a plate secured thereto carrying a projecting steel bufiing block havinga spherical contact surface, a resilient nonmetallic disc secured tosaid plate extending around said block and of a thickness so as toextend appreciably beyond the projection of said block, a second car endsection, a member secured to said section and having an end wallparalleling said first end wall, a corresponding longitudinally alinedbufiing block and disc carried thereby, said blocks being out of contactduring normal articulation of said end sections, and means between saidsecond car end section and said member for moving said member towardsaid first car end section to produce a predetermined pressure betweenthe faces of said discs while said blocks are still maintained out ofcontact.

4. The combination, in an articulated car body mounting wherein theadjacent end sections of the car bodies having parallel transverse endWalls, of a bufier arrangement therebetween comprising steel buflingblocks carried by each of said walls and projecting toward each other,said blocks being in alinement longitudinally of the car body, resilientnon-metallic plates surrounding said blocks and of a thickness such thatthe faces of said plates when in abutment under compression maintainsaid blocks out of contact during normal relative movement of said endsections, and means for maintaining said faces under predeterminedcompression.

5. The combination, in an articulated car body mounting wherein theadjacent end sections of the car bodies having parallel transverse endwalls, of a buffer arrangement therebetween comprising longitudinallyalined steel bufiing blocks carried by each of said walls and projectingtoward each other but out of contact during normal articulation of thecar bodies, rubber plates carried by said end walls extending about eachof said blocks and having a predetermined thickness whereby they projectoutwardly beyond the extremities of said blocks when in abutment, andmeans on one of said end sections for producing a predeterminedcompression between the faces of said plates, said plate thickness beingsuch that even under said compression said blocks are maintained out ofcontact.

6. In combination, in an articulated car structure in which the endsections of adjacent cars are mounted on a common pivot, buffing meansbetween said end sections comprising bufi'ing blocks projecting towardeach other with their axes in longitudinal alinement and carried on therespective end sections, said blocks being out of contact during normalarticulation of said end sections, rubber means on each of said endsections extending about said blocks and projecting beyond theextremities thereof into abutting engagement with each other, and meanson one end section for placing said rubber means in predeterminedcompression between said sections.

'7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said last-named means includes amember bolted on said one nd section, and means for moving said memberlongitudinally toward the other end section and shimming it in positionto maintain said compression.

WILLIAM L. DAVIS. ALFRED O. WILLIAMS.

